Page 4 of Savage Sacrifice (The Savage Six #4)

POLARIS

A soft beeping echoes in the distance, a sweet lullaby I’m unfamiliar with, but it soothes me, rocking me between darkness and light.

Darkness wins out for the longest time, and the desire to sleep overwhelms me.

The sound disappears when the depths of blackness claim me, but every time the light tries to prevail, it’s there again.

I feel like I’m floating, gliding through time on a rain cloud blanketing me in its chill, until a thud interrupts the beeping and I jolt awake, eyes wide with panic. I have to blink a few times to actually be able to see anything; it’s so bright in here.

My heart races as I look down the length of my body, noting the hospital-issued gown and bright white sheets that tuck me in. I’m propped up in bed, fluffy pillows behind my head as I run my fingertips over the material at my sides.

Where am I? And why? And… who?

“Miss Beauchamp, it’s a pleasure to see you finally awake.

I’m nurse Belle,” a soft voice calls out, and my eyes land on the nurse by the window.

She’s wearing pale pink scrubs with her hair tied back in a long ponytail.

Her back is to me as she shuffles around some paperwork before she turns to face me.

There’s a softness to her eyes, a wisp of sadness, but the beam of her smile outweighs it as she grows closer.

I open my mouth, ready to speak, but my throat is so dry it’s impossible. A knowing smirk curls the right corner of her mouth even higher as she offers me a cup of water with a metal straw aimed in my direction.

Gingerly, I take it from her hands, trying to wrap my lips around the straw without spilling the contents all over myself.

“Miss Beauchamp, I’m going to ask you a few questions now that you’re awake, okay? Just remember, there are no right or wrong answers, just what you know.” She cocks a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me, waiting for a response, and I nod around gulping back as much water as possible.

She smiles, but reaches for the cup, slipping the straw from my lips. “Slow sips,” she muses, placing it off to the side before she returns with a clipboard in her hand. “What’s your name?”

I blink at her, my brain foggy.

Squinting, I try to focus, to settle some part of my mind, but all I do is draw a blank.

“Uh, Miss Beauchamp?” I offer, and she smirks at me.

“And your first name?” she pushes, being more specific this time, and I sigh, shaking my head.

“I-I don’t know.”

She nods, scribbling something on her clipboard before she returns her attention to me. “When is your birthday?”

I try to filter through my brain, but it’s futile. There is no information stored. Nothing, just the woman standing beside me and the fact that she’s called me Miss Beauchamp a few times.

What the hell is going on?

“I don’t know that either,” I admit, my face heating with embarrassment, but if she notices, she thankfully doesn’t say a word.

“That’s okay. Do you know where you are?”

Raking my teeth over my bottom lip, I glance around the room.

Aside from the bed I’m slumped in, there’s a window to my left with cabinets nestled beneath it, while a full wall of windows stands to my right.

I don’t know what’s on the other side since the blinds are all closed, and the door at the far end of the room has only a small framing of glass, which is frosted.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Tilting my head to see behind me, I notice a machine, the source of the sound that’s been in my dreams. Tubes and wires are linked to the device, and I follow them to where two of them disappear into my right arm. One is on top of my hand, the other is at the crook of my elbow.

“At the hospital?” I breathe, my concern levels growing as I turn my attention back to Nurse Belle, who smiles softly at me.

“That’s right. Do you know why?”

I shake my head instantly. There’s no point even trying to find the information; I know it’s not there.

Belle places her hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly with comfort.

“It’s okay. It’s completely normal under such circumstances.

That’s why I’m here: to help. And before you know it, you’re going to be on your way home.

” Home? I don't even know where that is. “All of your vitals check perfectly. We’ve just been waiting for you to wake up. I believe your friends are doing well too,” she explains, and I frown.

“Friends?”

Her hand drops from my shoulder as she smiles once again. “Yes, but I’m getting ahead of myself. This is going to be a lot of information for you to process, so how about I just focus on you first, okay?”

I nod, rubbing my lips together nervously. “Okay.”

Returning to her clipboard, she runs her fingertip over a piece of paper. “I have here that your name is Polaris Beauchamp. It was your birthday two days ago, making you twenty-one. Your address is listed as on the Hub campus at UCF.”

“UCF?” I repeat, interrupting, and she nods.

“The University of Central Florida,” she explains, and I gape at her in confusion. I don’t understand.

“Why don’t I remember?” I finally ask, the question plaguing me. I don’t want to know because I don’t want it to be my reality, but there’s no avoiding it.

“You were in a car accident with your friends. A drunk driver collided with your car about half a mile from campus. You were in the front passenger seat,” she offers, her voice growing softer as I let the weight of her words take root.

I was in an accident, a terrible one at that, it seems.

“Will I remember?”

“Possibly, but unfortunately, there’s no guarantee. Some do, some don’t.”

Clearing my throat, I lace my fingers together in my lap. “Does my family know?”

Her mouth sets in a thin line, pain radiating in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Polaris. You don’t have any family,” she states, and my chest tightens.

“Oh, okay.” I feel numb inside. She’s right, it is a lot of information to take in. “My friends?”

The smile returns to her face. “They’ll be with you shortly. My colleagues are working with them too, so you should all be able to leave together.”

“And everyone survived?” I ask, nerves thrumming through my veins, and she nods.

“Except the drunk driver, you’re all with us.

Now, your belongings are in the closet to the far left.

I’ll give you some time to gather yourself while I finish filing all of my paperwork.

Then we can get you out of here, alright?

” she states, moving to my right arm, swiftly removing the needles from my skin, and I wince, but no pain comes.

Once she’s placed a small bandage over each spot, she leaves without a word, the door clicking shut behind her. I don’t move, letting the weight of her words fall over me as I stare up at the ceiling.

Polaris Beauchamp.

Twenty One.

The Hub at UCF.

No family.

Friends.

That’s not a lot to know about someone, let alone yourself.

I need to know more, I need answers, and I guess I’m not going to get them if I just lay here in this bed.

The overwhelming delirium that washes over me is intense, bringing tears to my eyes, but I don’t shed them.

Not one. I have to be strong. If I was strong enough to survive such a tragic accident, then I’m strong enough to keep myself together.

Determined, I pull the sheets back and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

My feet don’t touch the floor until I shuffle off, but the moment they connect, I sway, needing a moment to gain my balance.

After taking a few deep breaths, I gain the control I need to head toward the far cabinet she mentioned. Crouching, I brace myself before I open the cabinet door to reveal my belongings.

There’s a stack of neatly folded clothes on the top shelf: a plain white tee and a pair of denim jeans, and on the shelf below them is a pair of off-white sneakers. Apart from the clothes and footwear, there’s a small purse.

That’s it.

Nothing else.

Bundling them all into my arms, I head back to the bed, opting to change out of my hospital-issued gown and into the fresh clothes. It takes me a while, but once I’m changed, I feel good. Good enough to look inside the purse at least.

I take a seat on the edge of the bed before I peer inside. There’s a cell phone with no battery, a pen, a journal, and a set of keys along with a wallet.

A hint of disappointment swirls inside of me.

Nothing here explains who I am, as I was hoping, but I guess figuring that out isn’t going to be easy.

A knock comes from the door, pulling me from my thoughts, and a moment later, Nurse Belle appears. “Ready?” she asks with a wide smile, and I nod.

I don’t think so, not really, but I guess I’m just going to have to convince myself that I’m okay.

“Perfect. Your friends have also been discharged now, if you would like to join them. I should let you know, though. They are also having memory issues at this moment. It’s a blessing and a curse, I guess. You’re all in the same boat at least,” she offers, and I nod again.

Quickly placing everything back inside my purse, I hitch it over my shoulder and head toward the door. As I reach the threshold, I glance back over my shoulder, taking in the room one last time before I follow her out into the hallway.

It’s quieter than I expect. Although, I don’t know what I was supposed to expect either. If I’ve ever been in a place like this before, I don’t remember.

The corridor is white, clinical, and lifeless, and the feeling continues as I round the corner to a small waiting area with a row of blue seats spread out. Three people stand, huddled awkwardly together, and they each turn my way as we approach.

“The gang is back together,” Nurse Belle says with a smile, but none of us match it, each eyeing the other with a sense of curiosity.

“The exit is just down the hall to your right. Any concerns, the security guards there will be there to help you,” she explains before turning on her heels, ready to head back where she came from.

But something is niggling me, something about her.

“Nurse Belle,” I call out, and she pauses, taking a moment to turn back, but when she looks over her shoulder, her eyes find mine.

I gulp nervously, feeling even more dumb now, but I’ve stopped her in her tracks.

The least I can do is say what I was going to say.

“Do I know you? Like, more than this moment. Have we met before?” I ask, and her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“I don’t believe we have,” she murmurs after a moment, running her tongue over her bottom lip, and I nod.

Maybe it’s just the memory loss playing tricks on me, but there’s something about her, something that I can’t put my finger on. Maybe it’s just because she’s the first person I saw when I woke up.

“Thank you,” I finally state, and she nods, hightailing it down the corridor without a backward glance.

I take a deep breath before I turn to face the others—two guys and a girl.

We’re all wearing white tees and jeans. I hope we don’t do this matching outfit thing too often.

Deciding that one of us needs to clear the air between us, I smile.

“Hey, even though we’re supposed to know each other, I think we might need to reintroduce ourselves or something. ”

The girl rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest, while the guy to the right with the messy brown hair smirks back. “I think that’s a good idea.”

The second guy scowls, eyes piercing as he takes me in, but he eventually shrugs. “I’m Foster.”

“Foster,” I breathe in acknowledgment. “I’m Polaris.”

“That’s a pretty name,” the other guy says, and I blush. “I’m Benjamin.”

All eyes turn to the girl in the center, who flicks her long hair over her shoulder. “I’m Bianca, now can we get the fuck out of here already? It’s giving me the creeps,” she grumbles, visibly shuddering, and Ben throws an arm around her shoulder, his smile somehow growing wider.

“Agreed. Let’s go home.”